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For steadfast and forthright Hank R. Hill ("Not that Hank P. Hill who doesn't pay his Discover Card bill," he clarifies), these are the times that try men's souls: His presidential candidate of choice, George W. Bush, has a limp handshake. His wife, Peggy, and son, Bobby, prefer charcoal grilling to his precious propane. And a new co-worker from Oklahoma is hustling on the side, casting the clueless Hank (voiced by series creator Mike Judge) as her pimp. But the pleasure of King of the Hill is that we can always count on Hank to do the right thing by his town, his friends, his family, and his country. If he heads for the border to keep niece Luanne (Brittany Murphy) from voting Communist (she likes the candidate's red tie), we know he will turn the car around and make it to the polls with a minute to spare. If he gives Arlen High School's star football player an A so he will be eligible to play in the state tournament, we know he will be moved to stand up for his wife, Peggy (Kathy Najimy), who originally flunked him. And if Alabaster Jones (from Oklahoma City) comes to reclaim his "ho," we can be reassured that Hank will "mack daddy" him down.

King of the Hill's fifth season chronicles another momentous year for Bobby (Pamela Segall), who turns 13, is disgraced, but finds redemption, as the school mascot, and saves the life of a drowning pig at the county fair ("Not this pig, not today!"). Pitiable Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root) continues to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune, as his faithless ex-wife Lenore returns to louse up his budding romance with, yes, former governor Ann Richards (as herself), and he takes in a delinquent who takes advantage of him ("All the books about parenting are by comedians," he laments, "and I never know when they're kidding or when they're serious."). King of the Hill continues to fly under the radar. This three-disc set's only extra is a brief sneak preview of the series' tenth, and final, season. That's seemingly more effort than Fox's cracked marketing team expends on this underappreciated treasure. But check out season 5. When it comes to brilliantly funny character-based comedy, keen social satire, and virtuoso voice work, nobody messes with Texas. --Donald Liebenson

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Another solid season of an excellent show... let's hope the DVDs get better

King of the Hill - The Complete Fifth Season (2000-2001.)

REVIEW:
I was disappointed when Mike Judge stopped doing Beavis and Butt-Head, as were plenty of other people. But, my disappointment was somewhat lifted when I discovered King of the Hill, the new series that he had begun work on. This series combined crew members from The Simpsons and Beavis and Butt-Head, truly creating a series that was the best of both worlds. Like many TV shows, this one is now getting season box set reviews. Read on for my comments on the Fifth Season.

OVERVIEW:
King of the Hill's fifth season consists of the following episodes:

85: The Perils of Polling 10/1/2000
Election time is approaching, and Hank finds himself in a crisis over which candidate to choose.

86: The Buck Stops Here 11/5/2000
Bobby gets work as a golf course caddy and gets fired, but is immediately rehired as Buck Strickland's personal caddy.

87: I Don't Want to Wait 11/12/2000
Bobby's thirteenth birthday fast approaches, and with Joseph hitting puberty, the two of them encounter their own identity crises.

88: Spin the Choice 11/19/2000
Hank's plans for the perfect Thanksgiving are shattered when John Redcorn reveals the true nature of the holiday to Bobby.

89: Peggy Makes the Big Leagues 11/26/2000
Peggy becomes an excellent player for the Strickland Propane softball team, but Hank fails to give her the proper recognition.

90: When Cotton Comes Marching Home 12/3/2000
Cotton moves to Arlen, and gets a job in a restaurant - only to find they won't give him Veteran's Day off.

91: What Makes Bobby Run? 12/10/2000
Bobby wins a position as school mascot, but disgraces everyone he knows by running away instead of taking the ceremonial beating mascots are supposed to.

92: 'Twas the Nut Before Christmas 12/17/2000
Bill converts his house into a playground for children around the holidays, and dresses up as Santa Claus.

93: Chasing Bobby 1/21/2001
Hank's beloved truck is predicted by a mechanic not to last very much longer.

94: Yankee Hankie 2/4/2001
Hank is in a state of shock when he discovers his actual birthplace is NOT in Texas.

95: Hank and the Great Glass Elevator 2/11/2001
Hank's friends take him to a fancy hotel for his birthday, but he gets them thrown out of the hotel by mooning former Texas governor Ann Richards.

96: Now Who's the Dummy? 2/18/2001
Bobby is given a ventriloquist dummy during a visit to a senior citizen living center.

97: Ho Yeah! 2/25/2001
Hank and Peggy take in a girl who works with Hank at Strickland Propane, not knowing the secrets of her past.

98: The Exterminator 3/4/2001
Dale is forced to give up exterminating when the chemicals of the job make him ill.

99: Luanne Virgin 2.0 3/4/2001
Luanne becomes a born-again virgin, and quickly meets a new boyfriend, much to Peggy's dismay.

100: Hank's Choice 4/1/2001
Bobby is discovered to be allergic to Ladybird, so Hank gives her to Bill.

101: It's Not Easy Being Green 4/8/2001
Hank and the guys protest the draining of a local quarry, because it hides a dark secret from their high school days.

102: The Trouble with Gribbles 4/22/2001
Dale comes up with a rather awkward plan to sue a cigarette company to get Nancy the facelift she desires.

103: Hank's Back Story 5/6/2001
Hank's back condition forces him to wear padding on his rear to compensate for his lack of bone there.

104: Kidney Boy and Hamster Girl: A Love Story 5/13/2001
Bobby sneaks into Arlen High School, and becomes friends with many of the students due to a story he made up about himself.

EPISODES REVIEW:
There's really not much to say. Any fan of King of the Hill knows these are great episodes, and any fan of the series would be making a smart move adding them to their collection. Although I probably wouldn't call this my favorite season overall, the fact of the matter is that they are still great episodes, and any viewer should own them.

DVD REVIEW:
After Season Two, the King of the Hill DVDs took a massive downward turn. Seasons Three and Four featured NO EXTRAS AT ALL. One thing I like about the King of the Hill DVDs is that they give a brief summary of the episode and the original air date in the episode selection screen, but the fact of the matter is that this doesn't compensate for the lack of extras. Let's hope FOX gets their act together for this release, and releases a package that is as good as the First or Second Season boxes.

OVERALL:
Overall, King of the Hill is a damn fine animated sitcom, and the fifth season is really no exception to this rule. If you're a fan of the series, I would strongly recommend buying this set when it comes out.

Season 5 Shows

"THE BUCK STOPS HERE"
Episode KH501
Original Airdate: 11/05/00

Bobby is working for Hank's boss!

"WHEN COTTON COMES MARCHING HOME AGAIN"
Episode KH503
Original Airdate: 11/12/00

It's Veterans' Day in Arlen!

"PEGGY MAKES THE BIG LEAGUES"
Episode KH504
Original Airdate: 11/26/00

Peggy "graduates" to subbing at the high school.

"SPIN THE CHOICE"
Episode KH505
Original Airdate: 11/19/00

Bobby hopes one Thanksgiving will make up for all the white man's sins

"YANKEE HANKIE"
Episode KH506
Original Airdate: 02/04/01

If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere...

"WHAT MAKES BOBBY RUN"
Episode KH507
Original Airdate: 12/10/00

Bobby turns yellow when a middle school tradition turns on him!

"Twas the Nut Before Christmas"
Episode KH508
Original Airdate: 12/17/00

Bill's Christmas cheer doesn't stop with the New Year!

"The Exterminator"
Episode KH509
Original Airdate: 03/04/01

Killing bugs is killing Dale!

"Chasing Bobby"
Episode KH510
Original Airdate: 01/21/01

Hank's gone soft!

"Hank's Choice"
Episode KH511
Original Airdate: 04/01/01

When Bobby discovers he's allergic to Ladybird, Hank must choose between the dog or his son - and it's a tough one

"Hank and the Great Glass Elevator"
Episode KH512
Original Airdate: 02/11/01

"It's a marvelous night for a moon dance..."

"Lupe's Revenge"
Episode KH513
Original Airdate: 05/13/01

During a class field trip to Mexico, Peggy unwittingly smuggles an illegal back into Texas. Guest voice: Kathy Bates

"Now who's the Dummy?"
Episode KH514
Original Airdate: 02/18/01

The show must go on!

"Ho Yeah!"
Episode KH515
Original Airdate: 02/25/01

"The only woman I'm pimping is sweet lady propane!" - Hank

"Luanne Virgin 2.0"
Episode KH516
Original Airdate: 03/11/01

Luanne becomes a born-again virgin, which inspires Peggy to confess a sexual secret

"Hank's Back Story"
Episode KH517
Original Airdate: 05/06/01

Hank's unique health condition threatens his ability to compete in the Durndle County Mower Races

"It's Not Easy Being Green"
Episode KH518
Original Airdate: 04/08/01

Bobby becomes an environmental activist and
unearths Hank's long buried secret

"The Trouble with Gribbles"
Episode KH519
Original Airdate: 04/22/01

Dale fights a big tobacco company and becomes a victim of their hardball tactics

"Kidney Boy and Hamster Girl"
Episode KH522
Original Airdate: 05/13/01

Bobby gets caught up in Arlen High School's quest
to get No Doubt to play their prom

Product Description

Adapted from Cormac McCarthy's award-winning novel, All the Pretty Horses cries for epic length but runs only 112 minutes for theatrical release. Drastically shortened during a lengthy stretch between production and release, this operatic drama feels as if huge chunks are missing, and what remains are fragments of a masterpiece that might have been. Unless a more definitive version is revealed, we must settle for this faint echo of McCarthy's ambitious narrative, in which dispossessed Texas rancher John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) ventures to Mexico in 1949 to revive his fading dreams of cowboy glory. With best friend Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas), Cole's odyssey takes him from youthful idealism to rugged, often horrific, and ultimately ennobling tests of integrity.

Much of Cole's ordeal is sparked by his forbidden love for Alejandra (Penelope Cruz), the beautiful daughter of his Mexican employer, whose family honor is threatened by their mutual attraction. A gunslinging teenager (Lucas Black) casts a black cloud over them all, and All the Pretty Horses becomes a test of Cole's ability to navigate a labyrinth of distorted truth, imprisonment, and hard-fought redemption. All of which begs for emotional depth and carefully developed characters, but this truncated film lacks both. Scenes jump from one to the next with obvious gaps between them, lending no opportunity for emotional investment. It's clear that director Billy Bob Thornton is attempting to redefine the Western, and the effort is laudable on many points, notably in its perfect match of visuals and a flavorful musical score. There's much to admire in this film, making its shortcomings all the more lamentable. --Jeff Shannon

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Repeated viewings can't dispel the shock of the final scene in this classic 1941 romantic mystery--a brief but disorienting confrontation that suddenly inverts the heroine's mounting conviction that she's married a murderer, forcing us to reconsider virtually every scene and line of dialogue that's preceded it. It's a masterful coup de grace for director Alfred Hitchcock, who has built a puzzle around the corrosive power of suspicion, threaded with deft ambiguities that toy with dramatic conventions and character archetypes in nearly every frame.

As embodied by Joan Fontaine, who nabbed an Oscar in this second outing with the director, Lina McLaidlaw is a buttoned-up, bookish heiress whose prim exterior conceals longings for a more engaged emotional life. Her solution materializes in the darkly handsome Johnnie Aysgarth, a gambler, womanizer, and spendthrift who flirts, then pursues, and soon marries her. As Aysgarth, Cary Grant is both irresistible and sinister, capable of deceit and petty theft, as well as grander designs on his bride's impending fortune. Lina's passion for Johnnie is clouded by each new revelation about his apparent dishonesty, from clandestine gambling to real estate development schemes; more troubling are clues implicating him in the death of his best friend, and the prospect that Johnnie may be slowly poisoning Lina herself. By the time we see him ascending a darkened staircase with a suspicious glass of milk, an image made all the more indelible through the spectral glow the director captures in the glass, the evidence seems damning indeed.

In fact, even as Hitchcock stacks the deck against Johnnie, and takes full advantage of Grant's skill at conveying such menace, the director also dots his landscape with visual clues to Lina's own neurotic (and erotic) obsessions. The final scene forces us to reevaluate her behavior while leaving enough of a cloud over Johnnie to rob him, and us, of a complete exoneration. It's a wicked, unsettling payoff to a brilliantly executed thriller. --Sam Sutherland

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In 1943 to support the overseas troops engaged in World War II, Major League Baseball created an official film recapping the World Series championship games. Since then, these official highlight films have evolved into comprehensive documentaries that include classic footage from the television broadcasts, dynamic scenes shot by the Major League Baseball Productions crews, and exclusive interviews with the key players and managers from the Fall Classic. This video is just one in a series of exciting and comprehensive programs. So many of the greatest moments from America’s National Pastime are captured in the World Series DVD collection: Don Larsen’s perfect game; Bill Mazeroski’s and Joe Carter’s World Series-ending home runs; the unforgettable shots of Carlton Fisk, Kirk Gibson, and Kirby Puckett; the dynastic Yankees, Cardinals, A’s, and Reds; and the underdog champions--Dodgers, Mets, and Twins. All of these Fall Classic memories, and more, are showcased in the official World Series DVD collection. *1982: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers--Led by Manager Whitey Herzog and World Series MVP Darrell Porter, the Cardinals conquered Paul Molitor and his Milwaukee Brewers. *1985: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals--In a classic, Mid-American showdown, the Redbirds came up one short in this seven-game World Series. *1987: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Minnesota Twins--The home field advantage never proved so vital. St. Louis and Minnesota both won all of their home games. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Minnesota Twins had four to three.

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In his direction of The Hurricane, veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison understands that slavish loyalty to factual detail is no guarantee of compelling screen biography. In telling the story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter--who was wrongly convicted of murder in 1967 and spent nearly two decades in jail--Jewison and his screenwriters compress time, combine characters, and rearrange events with a nonchalance that would be galling if they didn't remain honest to the core truth of Carter's ordeal. Because of that emotional integrity--and because Denzel Washington brings total conviction to his title role--The Hurricane rises above the confines of biographical fidelity to embrace higher values of courage, compassion, and ultimate justice.

Jewison is woefully heavy-handed in his treatment of the fictionalized, absurdly villainous detective (Dan Hedaya) who zealously plots to keep Carter in jail, and anyone familiar with Carter's story may object to the film's simplified account. But what matters here is the shining star of hope that is Lesra (Vicellous Reon Shannon), the Brooklyn teenager who rejuvenates Carter's legal battle in the early 1980s. This surrogate father-son relationship is what revives Carter's hope for family and future, and makes The Hurricane so engrossing and emotionally effective. Lesra's real-life Canadian mentors are compressed from nine characters to three, but their efforts are superbly dramatized, and Jewison hits the small but important grace notes that make a good film even better. By its final scenes, The Hurricane conveys the rich, rewarding satisfaction of surviving a difficult but valuable journey of mind, body, and soul. --Jeff Shannon

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Mel Brooks's directorial debut remains both a career high point and a classic show business farce. Hinging on a crafty plot premise, which in turn unleashes a joyously insane onstage spoof, The Producers is powered by a clutch of over-the-top performances, capped by the odd couple pairing of the late Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, making his screen debut.

Mostel is Max Bialystock, a gone-to-seed Broadway producer who spends his days wheedling checks from his "investors," elderly women for whom Bialystock is only too willing to provide company. When wide-eyed auditor Leo Bloom (Wilder) comes to check the books, he unwittingly inspires the wild-eyed Max to hatch a sure-fire plan: sell 25,000 percent of his next show, produce a deliberate flop, then abscond with the proceeds. Unfortunately for the producers (but fortunately for us), their candidate for failure is Springtime for Hitler, a Brooksian conceit that envisions what Goebbels might have accomplished with a little help from Busby Berkeley.

Truly startling during its original 1968 release, The Producers does show signs of age in some peripheral scenes that make merry at the expense of gays and women. But the show's nifty cast (notably including the late Dick Shawn as LSD, the space cadet that snags the musical's title role, and Kenneth Mars as the helmeted playwright) clicks throughout, and the sight of Mostel fleecing his marks is irresistibly funny. Add Wilder's literally hysterical Bloom, and it's easy to understand the film's exalted status among late-'60s comedies. --Sam Sutherland

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A powerful study of courage in the face of irrational odds, The Bridges at Toko-Ri (based on James Michener's novel) is no less patriotic than many other war films, but it dispenses with gung-ho bluster to focus instead on the very real and tragic consequences of war. This is also one of the first films to openly criticize the morality of the Korean War while praising the honor and integrity of the men who fought it. Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is one of those men, with one difference: A lawyer with a loving wife (Grace Kelly) and two young daughters, he's been recalled to duty from the Navy Reserve, and reluctantly accepts his mission to fly with a bomber-jet squadron over one of the Communists' most heavily protected targets--the strategically vital bridges in the Korean canyon of Toko-Ri.

Brubaker has his own noble protection, from his fellow pilots (including Charles McGraw in a fine supporting role), his admiring admiral (Frederic March), and from the helicopter scouts (Mickey Rooney and Earl Holliman) who've saved his life on previous missions. But his ambivalence--and his fear that the Toko-Ri mission will be his last--is what gives the film its potent emotional impact. Holden is perfect in his role, and director Mark Robson steadfastly avoids any false sentiment or macho theatrics that would diminish the film's devastating climax. The Bridges at Toko-Ri is also a superlative showcase for Naval operations; the aerial sequences earned an Oscar for special effects, and complete Navy cooperation assures total authenticity in the "flat-top" aircraft carrier scenes. For these and other reasons, this will remain a timeless classic for anyone seeking to comprehend the emotional maelstrom of warfare. --Jeff Shannon

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Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra star in this visually stunning metaphysical tale of life after death. Neurologist Chris and artist Annie had the perfect life until they lost their children in an auto accident; they're just starting to recover when Chris meets an untimely death himself. He's met by a messenger named Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and taken to his own personal afterlife--a freshly drawn world reminiscent of Annie's own artwork, still dripping and wet with paint. Meanwhile a depressed Annie takes her own life, compelling Chris to traverse heaven and hell to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

The multitextured visuals seem to have been created from a lost fairy tale. Heaven recalls the landscape paintings of Thomas Cole and Renaissance architecture complete with floating cherubs, while hell is a massive shipwreck, an upside-down cathedral overgrown with thorns and a sea of groaning faces popping out of the ground (one of those faces is German director Werner Herzog). Williams is the perfect actor to play against the imaginative computer-generated imagery--he himself is a human special effect. But the lack of chemistry between Williams and Sciorra is painfully apparent, and the flashback plot structure flattens the story's impact despite its deeply felt examinations of the heart and the spirit. Still, there's no denying Eugenio Zanetti's triumphant production design and the Oscar-winning special effects, which create a fully formed universe that is at once beautiful, eerie, and a unique example of movie magic. --Shannon Gee

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M*A*S*H's fifth tour of duty finds the 4077th operating at peak efficiency. Harry Morgan, as Colonel Sherman Potter, and Mike Farrell as BJ Hunnicutt, pumped new blood into series, and in this, their sophomore year, became integral parts of the ensemble. Gary Burghoff joined the Emmy elite for his role as company clerk Radar O'Reilly. William Christopher was also promoted, finally earning his opening-credit stripes for his role as Father Mulcahy. This season was also pivotal for Loretta Switt's Major Margaret Houlihan. "The Nurses," one of Switt's finest half-hours, humanized her rigid, by-the-book character. Margaret's engagement provided the season with its dramatic arc, and set the stage for the departure of Larry Linville's Major Burns, who by this time had wrung all the music he could from his one-note character. In addition to "The Nurses," another episode that looms large in the show's legend is the Emmy-winning "Dear Sigmund," in which weary and depressed psychiatrist Sidney Friedman sought refuge at the 4077th. This episode further fleshed out BJ, and established him as the camp's practical joker. The episode "Hanky Panky," in which a compassionate BJ consoles a nurse whose marriage has fallen apart, ranks as one of his best.

Alan Alda's Hawkeye suffers physical and psychological crises in two of his most effective episodes, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," in which he is temporarily blinded, and "Hawk's Nightmare," in which the war haunts his dreams. We also see the first warning signs of sanctimony that would infect the show in later seasons. Tell us, Hawkeye--and he does, in "The General's Practitioner"--why war is worse than hell. Whereas Hawkeye and Trapper in earlier seasons were partners in crime, Hawkeye and BJ become tireless (and sometimes tiresome) crusaders to right all wrongs in their "little corner" of the world, as witness their shutdown of a heartless junk dealer in "Souvenirs." One cure is "Movie Tonight," an ensemble episode in which camp members bond during a much-interrupted screening of My Darling Clementine. --Donald Liebenson

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Peter Yates's flag-waving film stands with To Kill a Mockingbird and American Graffiti as one of the best films about small-town Americana. Steve Tesich won an Oscar for his semi-biographical screenplay about four 19-year-olds who don't know what to do after high school. Dave Stohler (Dennis Christopher) and his three friends--ex-football star Mike (Dennis Quaid), wily comedian Cyril (Daniel Stern), and tough kid Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley)--are doomed to live in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana, where the local kids (nicknamed "Cutters"--a derogatory reference to quarry workers and their blue-collar families) are looked down on by the uppity students of nearby Indiana University.

Stohler escapes into a world of Italian bicycling, picking up the lingo, the accent, and a good share of the talent of his heroes. He is also the scourge of his father's life. The used-car salesman (Paul Dooley) doesn't understand his son's affection for bicycling or, for that matter, his pride in being a "Cutter."

Breaking Away rehabilitates the word heartwarming as Tesich's uncommonly intelligent script gives us well-rounded characters and a potent sense of place. The grandstanding finale--the real life "Little 500" bike race--gives the film a perfect, crowd-pleasing end. However, the film never sacrifices the development of characters for the action. Dooley is especially effective in one of those once-in-a-lifetime roles. The lifelong character actor's place in film history is established with this indispensable performance. --Doug Thomas

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